Resilient hopper-door type outlet construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. Mar/145 Jluzaieimfiz, BY

M. J. LINDSTROM AN NM RESILIENT HOPPER-DOOR TYPE OUTLET CONSTRUCT ION Filed Oct. 14, 1955 June 20, 1961 III rl l t HHHIH ||.||H.||H.I||||||IIIH l I l I I 1 l 1 II aired States i 1 This invention relates, generally, to the construction of hopper outlets for railway cars and automotive trucks and it has particular relation to the construction of the gate which is used for closing the hopper discharge openmg.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide for sealing the discharge opening of a hopper outlet to prevent the escape of finely divided lading or liquid lading; to construct a gate for closing the opening in such manner that the upper portion is slightly movable relative to the lower portion in order to facilitate sealing of the surface of the upper portion to a wall defining the hopper opening; to provide a layer of compressible material between upper and lower sections of the gate and to employ means for bodily raising and lowering the gate and moving it horizontally; to provide small area contact engagement between the gate and the coopcrating wall surrounding the hopper opening; and to provide a resilient seal between the Wall surrounding the hopper opening and the upper surface of the gate.

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

' This invention is disclosed in the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of this invention, reference can be had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a hopper and outlet construction therefor in which the present invention is embodied, the. gate being shown in the closed and sealed position.

FIGURE 2 is a view, similar to FIGURE 1, showing the gate in the unsealed position and partially uncovering the opening of the hopper;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the hopper, hopper outlet and gate at the leading end of the latter showing a modified construction; and

FIGURE 6 is a view, similar to FIGURE 5, and showing another modification of the invention.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 1-4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the reference character 10 designates, generally, a hopper of a lading containing car which may be a railroad car or may be mounted for automotive transportation as may be desired. The hopper 10 includes a vertical side wall 11 and an opposite inclined outer side wall 12. It also includes inclined end walls 13 and 14, the walls together defining a downwardly opening discharge opening that is shown, generally at 15. Surrounding the discharge opening 15 is an outlet frame that is indicated, generally, at 16. It may be formed of cast steel and may be secured to the hopper 10 by riveting or by welding as may be desired. The outlet frame 16 includes a vertical inner atent wall 17 overlying the hopper wall 11 and an inclined outer wall 18 overlying the outer side wall 12 of the hopper. In addition the outlet frame 16- includes inclined end walls 19 and 20 which overlie, respectively, the end walls 13 and 14 of the. hopper 10. The discharge opening 15 is defined by depending walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 from the walls17, 1:8, 19 and 20, respectively, of the outlet frame 16. The walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 are cast integrally with the walls 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the frame 16.

The hopper 10 may be used for carrying various types of lading and it may be finely divided lading such as cement, sugar or the like, and it may be liquid lading. For such lading it is essential that the discharge opening 15 be completely closed off and sealed. For this purpose in accordance with the present invention the gate, shown generally at 27, is employed. The gate 27 includes an upper gate section 28 in the form of a fiat plate of steel or other suitable metal and a lower gate section 2.9 of similar material. Interposed between the upper and lower gate sections 28 and 29 is a layer 30 of resilient compressible material such as rubber. The layer 30 is preferably bonded by welding to the juxtaposed surfaces of the upper and lower gate sections 28 and 29.

While the bonding by welding of the layer 30 of resilient compressible material is sufiicient to hold the combination inseparable, it is desirable to insure that there be simultaneous horizontal movement of the parts making up the gate 27. For this purpose a transversely extending rib 31 is formed integrally with the lower gate section 29 along the trailing edge and it interfits with a slot 32 that opens downwardly from the under side of the upper gate section 28. This construction permits slight relative vertical movement between the gate sections 28 and 29 and insures that there will be simultaneous movement of the gate sections 28 and 29.

Provision is made not only for moving the gate 27 horizontally into the out of closing position but also provision is made for moving it vertically into and out of sealing position as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings. The gate 27 is horizontally slidable on flanges 33 and 34 that are formed integrally with the frame 16 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. Extensions of the flanges 33 and 34 are provided by angles 35 which support the gate 27 in the full open position. The angles 35 are secured at one end to the outlet frame 16 and at the other end by support angles 36 to the superstructure of the hopper 10. A transverse angle 37 serves to interconnect the outer ends of the angles 35 as will be understood.

In order to move the gate 27 horizontally rack teeth 41 are provided on the under side of the lower gate section 29 for engagement by the teeth of pinions 42 that are non-rotatably carried by shaft 43 that extends transversely between the walls 17 and 18 of the frame 16 and is rotatably mounted thereon.

In order to move the gate 27 vertically into sealing engagement with the depending walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 the inclined end wall 20 of the outlet frame 16 is provided with an inclined Wall 44 below the leading end 45 of the gate 27 and above the flanges 33 and 34 as shown more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. In addition rack teeth 46 near the trailing end 49 of the gate 27 are offset gradually from the rack teeth '41 on the remainder of the lower gate section 29 to the end that, when they ride over the pinions 42, the trailing end of the gate 27 is moved upwardly while the leading end 45 is moved upwardly because it slides over the inclined wall 44.

The gate 27 moves through a transversely extending Patent ed June 20, 1961 h slot 47 in the inclined end wall 19 of the outlet frame 16. Below the flanges 33 and 34 is a chute portion that is indicated, generally, at 48. It constitutes the lower portion of the frame 16 and serves to direct the lading downwardly to suitable receiving means as will be understood readily.

In operation, when the pinions 42 and the shaft 43 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URE 2, the gate 27 is moved horizontally to the left along the flanges 33 and 34 until the leading end 45 engages the lower portion of the inclined wall 44 and the rack teeth 46, which are ofifset from the other rack teeth 41, encounter the pinions 42. Further rotation of the pinions 42 and shaft 43 in the same direction causes the gate 2-7 to continue to move the left and at the same time to move upwardly until the upper surface of the upper gate section 28 engages the under surface of the depending walls 21, 22, 23 and 2-4. The construction is such. as shown in FIGURE 1, that the layer 30 is compressed slightly when the gate 27 is moved to the fully closed and sealed position. Because there is relative vertical movement between the upperand lower gate sections 28 and 29, the upper gate section can fully seat against the lower surfaces of the depending walls 21, 22, 23 and 24.

When the gate 27 is to be opened, the pinions 42 and shaft 43 are rotated in a clockwise direction with the result that the gate 27 moves to the right horizontally and also moves downwardly until the lower gate section 29 rests on the flanges 33 and 34. Thereafter continued rotation of the pinions 42 and shaft '43 in the same direction moves the gate 27 onto the angles 35 to the full open position.

Simultaneous movement of the upper and lower gate sections 28 and 29 horizontally is insured by the interengagement of the rib 31 with the slot 32.

FIGURE shows a modification of the construction illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. It will be observed that a bulb portion 52 is formed around the edges of the upper gate section 28 of the gate 27. It has a rounded upper surface for engagement with a downwardly facing sealing surface 53 that is provided inwardly of the depending walls 21, 22, 23 and 24. Since the surface 53 is flat and the surface of the bulb portion 52 is curved, the intersection is generally along a straight line which provides a small area contacting surface which facilitates a sealed engagement between the upper gate section 28 and the outlet frame 16 when the gate 27 is in the fully closed position.

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings there is illustrated still a further modification of the construction of the gate 27. The upper gate section 28 is provided with a semi-circular groove 56 in its upper surface and around its edges for receiving a resilient gasket 57 that may be in the form of a cylindrical rubber member or a tubular rubber member. When the gate 27 is moved to the sealed position, the gasket 57 is compressed against the sealing surface 53 and thereby provides a sealed engagement therewith.

Since certain further modifications of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, a gate for closing said opening including upper and lower gate sections in the form of flat plates having a layer of rubber therebetween, guide means on said frame below said side walls and end walls mounting said gate for horizontal and vertical movement into or out of closing position with respect to said opening, means for moving said gate horizontally into or out of underlying relation with respect to the under surfaces of said side walls and end walls, and means for moving said gate vertically to place said upper gate section in engagement with said under surfaces of said side walls and end walls and compressing said layer of rubber.

2. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, a gate for closing said opening including upper and lower gate sections in the form of flat plates having a layer of rubber therebetween, guide means on said frame below said side walls and end walls mounting said gate for horizontal and vertical movement into or out of closing position with respect to said opening, one of said gate sections having a groove extending transversely of the sides of said gate and opening toward the other of said gate sections and the other of said gate sections having a rib extending into said groove, means for moving said gate horizontally into or out of underlying relation with respect to the under surfaces of said side walls and end walls, and means for moving said gate vertically to place said upper gate section in engagement with said under surfaces of said side walls and end walls and compressing said layer of rubber.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side walls and end walls have downwardly facing sealing surfaces and the upper gate section has a lip portion projecting upwardly into small area contact engagement with said sealing surfaces.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side walls and end walls have downwardly facing sealing surfaces and the upper gate section has a resilient gasket projecting upwardly into contact engagement with said sealing surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 542,120 Tilford July 2, 1895 657,021 Caswell Aug. 28, 1900 1,340,084 Seifert May 11, 1920 1,753,774 DArdenne Apr. 18, 1930 1,832,591 Stevens Nov. 17, 1931 1,833,694 Stant Nov. 24, 1931 1,955,868 Wine Apr. 24, 1934 2,227,712 Hackley Jan. 7, 1941 2,386,702 McBride Oct. 9, 1945 2,523,864 Delany Sept. 26, 1950 2,607,966 Beck Aug. 26, 1952 2,640,438 Dorey June 2, 1953 2,713,483 Tillou July 19, 1955 2,738,735 Zimmer Mar. 20, 1956 2,751,858 Koranda et a1 June 26, 1956 

